Corn picker



1963 E. K. KARLSSON ETAL 3,101,579

CORN PICKER Filed May 27, 1960 1o Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. 64% 32. mm

1963 E. K. KARLSSON ETAL 3,101,579

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CORN PICKER Filed May 2'7. 1960 10 Sheets-Sheet l0 IN V EN TORS.

f6. Mzsmv 6:50:52, yiea/ens United States Patent 3,101,579 CGRN PICKERElof K. Karlsson, Moline, and Edwin L. Stevens, Rock Island, llL,assignors to International Harvester Company, Chicago, Ill., acorporation of New Jersey Filed May 27, 1960, Ser. No. 32,313 7 Claims.(Cl. 56-18) This invention relates to a new and improved corn picker.

Corn pickers have existed in substantially their present form for manyyears. It has been a common expedient in corn pickers to employcooperative rolls to cause a stalk engaged between the rolls to bepulled downwardly until such time as the ear on the stalk reaches thejuncture between the snapping rolls, whereupon the ear being too largeto pass between the rolls is pulled from the stalk. The snapped ears arethen taken from other mechanisms of the machine to husk the snapped earsand, in some machines, to remove the kernels of corn from the cob. Thesurface conformations of the cooperative snapping rolls become extremelyimportant when it is considered that the stalks must be positivelyengaged and forced down between the rolls. If the rolls are tooaggressive there is a tendency to bite into and damage a portion of theheel of the ear on the stalk. If, on the other hand, the rolls are notsufficiently aggressive there is a possibility the stalk will be lostand not only will the stalk drop out of the machine but also the car onthe stalk. It is thus important that the rolls be sufiicientlyaggressive and arranged in interengaging fashion so that the stalks willbe firmly gripped throughout their downward movement and yet notsutficiently aggressive so that the ears, will be damaged during thesnapping operation. It isextrernely difiicult to find an intermediateposition of aggressiveness such that the desired conditions will befulfilled. In recent years there have come into use elements calledstripper plates which are used over aggressive snapping rolls, or whatnow must be termed stalk feeding rolls. These stripper plates preventengagement of the ears of corn with the aggressive feeding rolls and yetthe pulling of the stalk downwardly between the rolls causes a snappingof the ears as they engage the stripper plates.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a cornpicker snapping unit with stripper plates that adjust simultaneously inan equidistant amount from th center line of a row of corn.

Still another important object of this invention is to equip a cornpicker with stripper plates over stalk feeding rolls and wherein theopening between the stripper plates remains directly over the point ofengagement of the cooperative stalk feeding rolls despite the fact thestripper plates are capable of a relatively wide range of adjustmenttoward and away from each other to open and/ or close the openingbetween the stripper plates.

Another and still further important object of this invention is toprovide adjustable means in a corn picker for varying the spacingbetween cooperative stripper plates which are disposed over aggressivestalk feeding rolls.

Another and further important object of invention is the provision of atransversely disposed polygonally shaped actuator rod having spacedapart threaded sleeves rotatable therewith and fixed against separatelongitudinal movement, nuts engaging the threaded sleeves, and linkagemeans actuated by said nuts for moving the stripper plates toward oraway from each other upon rotation of the actuator rod.

Another and still further important object of this invention is toprovide an aggregating means for snapped ears of corn in .a cornharvester.

Still another important object of this invention is to equip a cornharvester with row picking units and with a transversely disposed earaggregating auger.

A still further important object of this invention is the provision ofan ear aggregating transversely disposed auger arranged for dispositionrelative to the ear discharge surface of thepicking units such that theears will be delivered into that portion of the auger screw flight abovethe auger core and beneath the top surface thereof.

Other and further important objects and advantages will become apparentfrom the disclosures in the following specification and accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a corn picker of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the corn picker portion of thisinvention as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of a corn picking unit forming a part of thedevice of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4- is a perspective view showing generally the top and side ofthe ear severing picker unit of FIGURES 2 and 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view, partly in schematic form, taken on theline -5-5 cf FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is an end View taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 3 and on a scaleenlarged with respect to the scale of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIGURE 3 and on ascale enlarged with respect to the scale of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8--8 of FIGURE 3 and on ascale enlarged with respect to the scale of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view detail of the ear stripper plates used inthis invention and showing the operating mechanisms therefor;

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view taken on the line 1010 of FIGURE 9 and ona scale enlarged with respect to the scale of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE '11 is an end view detail taken on the line 1-111 of FIGURE 9 andone scale enlarged with respect to the scale of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of a portion of the corn picker unitwith parts removed to show interior construction; and

FIGURE 13 is a sectionalview taken on the line 13-13 of FIGURE 12.

As shown in the drawings, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally acorn harvesting machine. The machine 10 is supported on relativelywidely spaced-apart large traction wheels 11 and further carried by rearsmaller diriigi ble wheels 12-by which the vehicle is steered anddirected through a field of standing corn. The forward end of the cornharvester 10 is equipped with a corn head 13, which in the presentinstance consists of four row type corn picking units. In other words,the corn harvester is capable of picking four rows of. cornsimultaneously. The corn head 13 includes outside divider elements 14-and 15 and intermediately disposed center dividers 16, 17 and 18. Thefour row corn head 13 is arranged and constructed as will hereafter bedescribed with mechanism for removing ears of corn from standing stalksand thereafter elevating those snapped ears upwardtute the forwardportion of any propulsion device such as, for example, a speciallydesigned corn sheller. The grain combine shown in the drawings isincluded merely to show a complete machine but it does not constitute apart of the present invention. In order to further describe theenvironment of the invention the grain combine includes an operatorsplatform 21, a seat '22, a steering wheel 23, operating pedals 24, andoperating levers 25-.

The invention herein is concerned with the corn picking units and theirconstruction. As stated previously, there are four such corn pickingunits shown in the corn head 13. A transverse bridge 26 extends acrossthe upper ends of the four picking units, which for convenience will bedesignated 27, 28, 29 and 30*. The picking unit 27 is flanked by thedivider points 14 and 16, the picking unit 28 is flanked by the dividerpoints 16 and 17, the picking unit 29 is flanked by the divider points17 and 18, and the picking unit 30 is flanked by the divider points 18-and 15. The corn picked by each of the four units 27, 28, 29 and 30 iscarried upwardly and rear-wardly by suitable mechanism to be hereafterdescribed, and then at the position of the transverse bridge 26 the earcorn is aggregated in a posit-ion at the center thereof adjacent thefeeder housing 19 by means of a transversely disposed auger 31 as bestshown in FIGURE 2.

For convenience the picker unit 27 shall be described in detail and isshown in relative detail in FIGURES 3 through 11 inclusive. As shown inFIGURES 1 and 2, the outside divider point 14 is arranged andconstructed to slide over the ground as shown at 3-2. It is the runctionof the divider 14, and similarly the dividers 15, 16, 17 and 18, toguide standing and down stalks into one of the picker units 27, 28, 29'or 39. Following the stalks entrance between adjacent divider elements,such as 14 and 16 for the picker unit 27, the stalks are thereaftergrasped by cooperative fingered chain elements 33 and 34', as best shownin FIGURES 3 and 4. Fingers 35 on the chain 33 and fingers 36 on thechain 34 have their adjoining runs moving upwardly and rearwardly in thedirection of the arrow 37 such that the stalks designated at 38 and 39,will be grasped between the fingers 35 and 36 and be carried rearwardlyin the picking unit 27. The gathering chains 33 and 34 are clearly shownin FIGURES 3 and 4. The chain 33 is mounted on spaced-apart sprockets 40and 41. Similarly the endless chain 34 is extended around spacedsprockets 42 and 43. As shown in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 as in FIGURE 3, theinwardly extending fingers 35 and 36 of the gathering chains 3-3 and34-, respectively, approach each other at substantially the center lineof the gathering unit 27 and, as previously stated, the stalks 38 and 39carrying the ears of corn to be harvested are firmly but positivelyguided through the gathering unit by the cooperative chains 33 and 34.In order to make the gathering chains more aggressive in moving trashand stalks through the machine there is provided upwardly extending lugs35a fixedly attached to the lugs 35.

Immediately to the rear of the forward ends of the chains 33 and 34 arethe forward ends 44 and 45 of cooperative feed rolls 46 and 47 as bestshown in- FIGURE 3. These rolls 46 and 47 are shown in detail in FIGURESand 7. The feed rolls 46 and 47 are what the industry terms veryaggressive rolls as they include radially projecting spaced-apartblade-like members designated by the numeral 48 on the roll 46, and 49on the roll 47. The radial blade members 48 and 49 are intercalated witheach other such that one blade from one roll passes between the bladesof the adjacent roll so that a stalk carried through the forward ends 44and 45 of the rolls and into the scope of travel of the blades 48 and'49 will be positively pulled downwardly by a biting-in action fromopposite sides of the stalk by each of the rolls in a steppedrelationship so that the stalk is gripped at one side while it is heldbetween spaced blades of the opposite roll and thence alternatively isbitten into by a blade of the other roll while it is held byspaced-apart blades of the first roll. This, of course, occasions veryharsh treatment to the stalks and would tend to chop up and cause a lossor damage to ears of corn which might reach the juncturebetween thefeeding rolls 46 and 47. However, as previously stated, the feedingrolls 46 and 47 are no longer the snapping rolls as in previousmachines, but merely the means for pulling stalks down therethrough. Theears are in fact snapped or stripped from these stalks by reason ofadjustable stripper plates 56 and 51. The stalk feeding roll 47 may beadjusted toward or away from its cooperarive feeding roll 46 by means ofan adjusting mechanism which has not been shown in detail herein as itis not a part of the present invention. The adjusting mechanism employedis similar in construction to the device of my previous Patent2,645,075.

The cooperative feed rolls 46 and 47 have mating spur gears 52 and '53respectively at their upper rearward ends such that when one roll isrotatably driven the other is simultaneously driven in the oppositedirection. The roll 46 is provided with a further rearward extension 54beyond the spur gear 52 and this extension 54 carries a sprocket 55through which the rolls receive their drive.

As stated in the objects above, one of the principal purposes of thepresent device is to provide the stripper plates 50 and 51 with meansfor adjusting them toward and away iirom a line coinciding with a row ofstanding corn. The stalks shown at 38 and 39 in FIGURE 3 areillustrative of the conditions which the machine will encounter in thepicking of corn. The stripping plates 56 and 51 are shown in substantialdetail in FIGURES 9, l0 and 11. FIGURE 9 shows the plates 50 and 51 inrelation to one another wherein they are spaced apart at the centerthereof defining a longitudinal passage 56 through which the corn stalks'38 and 39 may pass. However, the plates 50 and 51 must be sufficientlyclose together to prevent passage 0t ears of corn which are growing onthe stalks 38 and 39. This, then, prevents contact of the ears of cornwith the aggressive feed rolls 46 and 47. In

many instances it is desired to vary the width or the "of the passage 56relatively uniform from the lower forward ends of the plates 50 and 51to the upper rearward ends of the plates.

The device of this invention employs a frame-supporting structure 57 onwhich all of the elements are carried.

3 In FIGURE 9 the frame-supporting structure 57 is shown as journa llysupporting generally longitudinally extending and forwardly anddownwardly inclined tubular members 58 and 59. Each of the journalledrod members 58 and 59 includes upstanding ears or lugs as shown at 60and 61 on the rod 58 and 62 and 63' on the rod 59. These jears or lugs60', 61, 62. and 63 are weldably or otherwise fastened to the rods 58and 59 so that when the rods are rotated the ears move with and swingthrough an arc the same degree of rotation made by the rods 58 and 59.Downwardly extending projections or lugs 64 and 65 are provided on thestripper plate 50 and similarly downwardly extending projections or lugs66 and 67 are provided on the stripper plate 51. The depending bracketmembers 64 and 65 are shown in greater detail in FIG- URES l0 and 11.The lugs 64 and 65 are attached by means or welds or the like 68 and 69to the plate 50. It should be understood that the depending lugs 66 and67 for the plate 51 are similarly weldab-ly attached. Hinge pins '70 and71 join the lugs 60 and 64 and the lugs 61 and 65 as shown FIGURES 10and 11 respectively. Similar hinge pins 72 and 73 join the lug members62 and 63 on the rotatable rod 59 with the depending lugs 66 and 67 onthe plate 51. It should thus be apparent that as the rods 58 and 59' arerotated in their journal mountings the plates 50 and 51 are moved in orout depending upon the direction of swinging movement of the lug orbracket members 60, 61, 62 and 63.

Manually operable means are provided for moving the stripper plates 50and 51 either toward or away from one another. Arm members-74 and '75are fixedly mounted on the ends of the shafts 58 and 59 respectively.The lower ends of each of these lever members 74 and 75 is provided witha forked end 76 and 77 which carries a nut 78 and 79 respectively. Thenut 78 forming a part of the lever 74 and its iorked end 76 isthreadedly engaged with a screw member 80 which is formed as a sleevewith a polygoually shaped axial central passage 81 to receive orslidably mount over a comparably polygonally shaped cross rod 82.Similarly the nut 79 threadedly engages a sleeve screw 83 which is alsoprovided with a polygonally shaped axial central opening 84 which rideson and over the comparably polygonally shaped rod 82. A removable crankmember 85 is provided with a socket attaching portion 86 to engage anouter end lot the polygonally shaped rod 82 and with a hand engagingelement 87 at the outer end thereof. the hand crank 85-87 is rotated thelevers 74 and 75 are swung through an arcuate'path causingthe rods 58and 59 to be rotated. The externally threaded sleeves 80' and 8 3 haveoppositely pitched threads so that when the crank 85 is turned by meansof the hand engaging member 87 the actuating levers 74 and 75 are swunginwardly toward each other or outwardly away from each other to producea uniform inward or outward movement oi the stripper plates 50 and 51.Thus there is a movement of the plates about a center line through thespace 56 between the plates and identical with the row on which the cornstalks 38 and 39 are being picked. It is therefore apparent thatadjustment of the stripper plates is made relative to the center line ofa row of corn, or to the row axis, and the spacing is uniform for bothof plates 50 and 51 relative to such center line. In other words oneplate does not move a greater distance away from the center line of therow than does its cooperative plate.

The frame-supporting structure 57 as shown in FIG- URE 11 includes abracket member 88 having a generally horizontally disposed top flange89, a generally vertically disposed flange 90, and a rearwardly oroutwardly extending flange 91. The bracket 88 provides a journal supportfor the rod member 58 which as previously stated holds the upstandinglugs 60' and 61 for effecting an inand-out movement of the stripperplate 50. The top flange member 89 provides a general support for thestripper plate 50 in its sliding movement in or out from the center lineof the row of corn. Actually the stripper plate 50 moves in a relativelylow arc in its inaand-out movement by reason of the arcuate swingingmovement of the lugs 60 and 61 about the rod 58. However, the arcuatemovement is so slight as to be not appreciable in the in-and outmovement of the plate 50 and in effect the plate does slide over the topflange '89 of the bracket 88 forming a part of the frame-supportingstructure 57. A comparable bracket 92 is provided on the other side ofthe machine to support the stripper plate 51. The bracket 92 similarlyhas an upper flange member 93 on which the stripper plate slida'bly orarcuately moves inwardly and outwardly toward or away from the stripperplate 50. Bracket 92 further includes a relatively vertically disposedflange 94 and a rearwardly extending flange 95 which journally carriesthe rod 59 about which the stripper plate is arcuately mounted.

The stripper plates have mounted thereover the gathering chains 33 and34, as previously described. The upper ends of the chains 33 and 34receive driving power from a shafit 96 disposed transversely in thepicking unit at the upper end thereof as shown in FIGURE 3. Means, notshown, are provided for imparting rotation to this transversely disposedshaft 96 which is journally mounted depending member 64 on the stripperplate 50. bracket member 64 includes a right angled flange member ings105 and 106. These bearings 105 and 106 are of course supported in theframe-supporting structure 57 and have mounted at their upper ends thesprockets 41 and 43. These sprockets, as previously described, form partof the gathering chain assemblies and by reason of their rotation impartrotational movement to the gathering chains 33 and 34. The fastening ofthe bevel gears 101 and 102 to their shatts 103 and 104 respectively isaccomplished by locking pins 107 and 108. Similarly, the sprockets 41and 43 at the upper ends of these same shafts 103 and 104 are fastenedto the shafts by means of locking cross pins 109 and 110.

The depending bracket 64 (FIGURE 10) which is welded to the. undersideof the stripper plate 50 is pro vided with an elongated slot 111 whichis generally horizontally disposed and is adapted to receive the pinwhich joins the lug 60 from the rod 58 to the bracket or The 112. Aneyebolt 113 is positioned through the flange 112 and-exitends laterallywith its eye portion 114 surrounding the pin 70. Locknuts 115 and 116flank the flange 112 on the eyebolt 113 to thereby hold the eyebolt infixed adjusted position relative to the flange 112. In the position ofthe device as shown in FIGURE 10, the pin 70 is held by the eyebolt inits extreme outer position of the elongated slot 111 whereas byadjustment the eyebolt could be repositioned with respect to the flange112 by loosening and thereafter retightening the locknuts 115 and 116such that the pin 70 may be shifted anywhere along the elongated slot111 including the position at the extreme inner end. The stripper plate50 and similarly the plate 51 may have a slight toeing in at its lowerend so that the space 56 may not always be uniform throughout the fulllength of the stripper plates 50 and 51. The adjustments as shown inFIGURE 10 are duplicated on the other side for stripper plate 51, andthus it is possible to make small adjustments for the plates 50 and 51to provide for some slight convergence or divergence of the plates.

For purposes of convenience in describing the movement of the stripperplates 50 and 51 toward and away from each other there is designated inthe drawing a center line or row axis 117 shown in FIGURES 3,6, 7, 8 and9.

This axis or row center 117 is a continuation of the row '33 and 34whereafter the stalks are delivered into the forward ends of thecooperative feed rolls 46 and 47. At this point the radial ribs 48 and49 on these rolls 46 and 47 which are intercalated with each otherrelative to the center 117 cause a downward pulling on the stalksbetween the spaced stripper plates 50 and '51 and between the gatheringchains 33 and 34. The inner edges of the stripper plates 50 and 51 arecurved downwardly in a roll-like manner, as shown at 118 and 119, whereupon there is a smooth surface presented to any car of corn which may beon the stalks 38 and 39. The cars of corn which are to be harvested bythis machine do not get into the aggressive feeding rolls 46 and 47, butrather the lateral space 56 between the plates 50 and 51 is such thatthe ears of corn cannot pass. When the ears of corn on the stalk reachthe surface of the stripper plates 50 and 51 and the aggressive rolls 46and 47 continue their downward pulling on the stalks 38 and 39, the earsare snapped or stripped from the stalks and the gathering chains 33 and34 continue moving the'now snapped ears of corn upwardly and rearwardlyin the combination to insure holding the chains down in proximity to theupper surfaces of the stripper plates 50 and 51. Angle mem-. bers 122and 123 are part of the frame-supporting structure 57 and are arrangedto carry the bracket or clip -members 120 and 121 and also carry thesupporting sheet metal shown at 124 and 125. These same angle membersalso hold the stnipper plates from moving vertically. The lower portionof the sheet metal surface of the gathering units such as shown at 27,28, 29 and 30 acts to guide standing corn into the picker while theupper portion directs ears of corn into the gathering chains. Thesnapped ears of corn 126 as shown in FIGURE 13 are moved by the fingers35 on the gathering chains 33 upwardly into a beater-like rotor 127.This rotor member includes a transversely disposed shaft 128 andgenerally radially extending paddle members 129 and 130. The rotor isturned in the direction of the arrow 131 and is adapted to sweep down atthe rearward end of the ears 126 as they reach the upper end of thegathering chains and kick or urge the ears 126 and any broken stalksinto the upper half of the cross auger 31.

As shown in FIGURE '13, the auger 31 is provided with a central coremember 132 and a screw flight 133. The auger 31 rotates in the directionof the arrow 134 to thereupon feed ears of corn from both sides to acentral portion of the auger 31 which is provided withradiallyprojecting blade or paddle members 135 and 136 from the centralcore 132 to cause a feeding or delivery of the aggregated ears of corninto the feeder housing 19 which, as best shown in FIGURE 2, is providedwith an undershot type of feeder conveyor 137. The feeder conveyor 137comprises spaced-apart endless chain members 133 having cross lugs 139thereon. The upper ends of the chains are mounted on spaced sprockets141) on a generally fixed shaft 14-1. The lower ends of the chainscomprising the endless undershot conveyor 137 are mounted on spacedsprockets 14 2 which are mounted on a shaft 143 carried by arms 144. Thearms 144 are arranged for hinged movement about a rearwardly spaced axis145.

Thus as a greater or lesser amount of material is fed to:

the undershot conveyor 137 the sprockets 142 and their carrying arms 144are raised as necessary to permit various amounts of material to passand be fed beneath the under flight of the chain 137 and thereupondeliver the material upwardly and rearwardly on the floor 146 of thefeeder housing 19. From this point the ears of corn are fed to thethreshing or separating units of the machine, as previously described. 7

The transition of the ears of corn 126 from the gathering chains 33 and34 to the cross auger 31 is accomplished as stated by the beater members127 which are disposed at the upper end of each of the gathering units27, 28, 29 and 30. The relationship of the cross auger 3-1 with theupper end of the gathering units is suchthat the lower portion of theauger is substantially beneath the surface of the discharging level ofthe gathering units. As the ears 126 are kicked or nudged into thetrough 14-7 defining the space in which the auger 31 rotates there is notendency for the ears of corn to fall forwardly and thus out of thegathering units whereupon the ears of corn would be lost. Rather, thefact that the cross auger 31 is depressed in the trough 147 and the ears126 are fed to the portions of the screw flight 133 above the auger core132 tends to maintain control over the harvested ears of corn until theyare safely delivered to a central aggregating section of the trough 147.Thereafter, as previously stated, the straight paddle members 135 and136 on the auger act to feed the harvested cars into the undershotfeeder conveyor 137 as previously described. The fact that the upperflight of the auger is in the same plane as the upwardly feedinggathering chains prevents a loss of 'stantially uniformly at all times.

control of broken stalks which are fed with the stripped cars. If theauger were further depressed broken stalks could bridge the top of thereceiving hopper and cause a jamming of harvested material while if theauger were raised it would have a tendency to repel or back-feedmaterial fed to it by the beater or paddle wheel 127. Thus the auger inits particular location functions to smoothly and uninterruptedly feedharvested corn and stalk material to the central section of thereceiving hopper.

As best shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, the sprockets 4t) and 42 are journallysupported on brackets 148 and 149 which in turnare yieldably extended bymeans of coil springs 150 and 151. This mounting provides for a constanttensionin-g of the gathering chains 33 and 34 sub- Such constantlytensioned chains positively feed stalks upwardly and rearwardly into thestalk feeding rolls. Thereafter these same chains feed the snapped orstripped ears 126 upwardly and rearwardly for further treatment by themachine after they have been stripped from the stalks by means of thestripper plates 50 and 51.

In the operation of the machine of this. invention the device ispropelled through a field of standing corn such that the gatheringpoints 14 and 16, 16 and 17, 1'7 and 18, and 18 and 15 each flank a rowof corn so that standing corn stalks are fed into the combinationgathering and picking units as illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 throughwhich various sections have been taken to disclose the interiorconstruction thereof. The stalks are first gripped by the inwardlyprojecting fingers 35 and 36 of the gatherin-g chains 33 and 34.Following the gripping of the stalks by the gathering chains they arefed into the scope of the cooperative stalk feeding rolls 46 and 47.These rolls 46 and 47 with their radial ribs 48 and 43 alternatelyengage the stalk on the row center 117 to cause a positive downwardpulling of the stalk. The stalk pulling continues until the ears of cornon the stalks are stripped from the stalks by the ears engaging theupper surfaces of the stripper plates 50 and 51. Following release orstripping of the ears from the stalks the gathering chains 33 and 34 nowmove the snapped ears 126, as shown in FIGURE 13, upwardly andrearwardly for eventual engagement by the paddle wheel or rotor 127.This rotor with its radial paddles 129 and 134) causes the corn to beimpelled into the upper portion of a depressed cross auger 31. Thedifferential in height between the discharge floor of the gathering unitand the floor of the trough 147 insures the retention of the corn withinthe trough for delivery to the center and thereafter to the feederhousing and the undershot conveyor 137. As previously explained, theundershot conveyor 137 takes the harvested ears of corn upwardly andrearwardly through the feeder housing 19 and delivers it to theseparating mechanism in the housing 20. The adjustment of the stripperplates 50 and 51, as described in detail previously, is accomplished bythe hand crank which moves the plates inwardly and outwardly from therow axis of center 117. In the construction shown and described themovement of the plates is symmetrical about this row center 117throughout the full length of the plates 50 and 51. Minor adjustmentsmay be made in the convergence or divergence of the forward ends of theplates 51) and 5 1 by adjustment of the pins 70 in the elongated slots111 by means of the eyebolt 113 as previously described.

. I am aware that numerous details of construction may be variedthroughout a wide range without departing from to pull said stalksdownwardly, a pair of spaced-apart stripper plates disposed above saidstalk feeding rolls, and means on said frame-supporting structurecoupled to each of said stripper plates for eifecting a concomitant andsymmetrical displacement of each of said stripper plates with respect tosaid row axis to adjust the spacing between said stripper plates.

2. A com picker comprising a frame-supporting structure, gathering meanson said frame-supporting structure for guiding standing corn stalks in arow into said picker, a pair of cooperative stalk feeding rolls arrangedlongitudinally in said picker and parallel to the row of standing cornstalks with one of each of said pair of rolls positicned on each side ofsaid row of standing corn stalks, a pair of longitudinally extendinglaterally spaced apart stripper plates respectively disposed above saidpair of cooperative stalk feeding rolls, and means on saidframesupporting structure coupled to each of said stripper plates forsimultaneously adjusting the spacing of said stripper platessymmetrically about the row of standing com 'as a center.

3. A com picker as set forth in claim 2 in which the means for adjustingthe spacing of said stripper plates includes a pair of longitudinallyextending rods, one of said rods being journalled in saidframe-supporting structure generally beneath each of said stripperplates, each of said stripper plates having downwardly dependingbrackets affixed to the bottom thereof at longitudinally spaced-apartpositions, each of said rods having spacedaapart upwardly extending lugsatfixed thereto, a hinge pin joining each of said depending bracketswith an upwardly extending lug, 'and means for rocking each of saidrods.

4. A corn picker as set forth in claim 3 in which the means for rockingeach of said rods includes a transversely extending polygonaily shapedrod, spaced-apart externally threaded sleeves slida bly mounted alongsaid polygonally shaped transverse rod, an arm depending from each ofsaid longitudinal rods, a nut fastened to each of said depending arms atthe lower end thereof, said nuts respectively engaging the externallythreaded sleeves, and crank means engaging the polygonally' shapedtransverse rod to efiect rotation thereof and related movement of thestripper plates symmetrically inwardly or outwardly with respect to saidcenter line.

5. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which at least a given one of thedownwardly depending brackets includes a transversely disposed elongatedslot, and means for adjustably positioning the hinge pin associated withsaid given bracket in said elongated slot to vary the angularrelationship of the stripper plates.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 inwhich said means for adjustablypositioning said hinge pin comprises a generally horizontally disposedeye bolt threadedly engaging said given bracket and having its eyesurrounding the hinge pin associated with said given bracket.

7. A corn harvester comprising a plurality of side by side corn pickingand gathering units, means for stripping ears of corn from said stalks,gathering chains on said corn picking and gathering units arranged andconstructed to guide and convey standing stalks into said corn pickingand gathering units, and to convey stripped ears of corn upwardly andrearwardly in said corn picking and gathering units, a transverselydisposed trough disposed across the upper end of said corn picking andgathering units, an auger coonveyor in said trough having a central coreand screw flights therearound for aggregating said stripped ears of cornin one part of said trough, with the floor of said trough disposed belowthe adjacent floor level of the corn picking and gathering units andonly the portion of said screw flights extending above said central corebeing at a level above said adjacent floor level, and ear corn paddlemeans in the corn picker and gathering uni-ts adjacent the juncture ofsaid units with said transverse trough in cooperative relation with saidauger conveyor to efiect a positive movement of said ears from the cornpick-er and gathering units to said trough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,406,058 Boone Aug. 20, 1946 2,536,148 Andrews Jan. 2, 1951 2,542,646Fergason Feb. 20, 1951 2,663,983 Fergason Dec. 29, 1953 Bulfer Feb. 1,1955

1. A CORN PICKER FOR MOVEMENT ALONG THE AXIS OF A ROW OF CORN STALKSCOMPRISING A FRAME-SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, MEANS ON SAID FRAME-SUPPORTINGSTRUCTURE FOR GUIDING AND FEEDING STANDING CORN STALKS INTO SAID PICKER,A PAIR OF COOPERATE STALK FEEDING ROLLS ARRANGED AND CONSTRUCTED TO PULLSAID STALKS DOWNWARDLY, A PAIR OF SPACED-APART STRIPPER PLATES DISPOSEDABOVE SAID STALK FEEDING ROLLS, AND MEANS ON SAID FRAME-SUPPORTINGSTRUCTURE COUPLED TO EACH OF SAID STRIPPER PLATES FOR EFFECTING ACONCOMITANT AND SYMMETRICAL DISPLACEMENT OF EACH OF SAID STRIPPER PLATESWITH RESPECT TO SAID ROW AXIS TO ADJUST THE SPACING BETWEEN SAIDSTRIPPER PLATES.